Sub 3 hour marathon at the Boston Marathon 2025 - Amoljit Singh Gill's journey to accomplishing his dream

Newton Hills - Boston Marathon 2025 - EYES ON A SUB 3 HOUR MARATHON TIME!

BATHINDA HALF MARATHON 2018

I took to distance running in 2018 with the half marathon (21.1 km) at the New Delhi Marathon in Feb 2018. Being from the Indian Armed Forces we are subjected to rigorous physical tests and running distances upto 10 km but never gone beyond that. I considered myself a novice in distance running and a timing of 1:45:32 in my first half marathon was pretty decent and got me hooked onto running. I started to research more on distance running and all that it entails. Interactions with fellow runners in the forces gave me further insights.

I decided to seek professional help and the searches on the net threw up Nivedita Samanta & FitRabbits. I loved the name of the enterprise and the fact that Coach Nivedita seemed really passionate about her work. I signed up and thus started my journey into the fascinating world of distance running.

MAIDEN MARATHON 2019

MAIDEN MARATHON & PERSONAL FOIBLES A few half marathons later, I ran my first marathon (42.2 km) at Tata Mumbai Marathon in Jan 2020. My honeymoon with distance running seemed over as I had aimed to finish in 3:45 but struggled to finish in 3:56:42. I realised running a marathon is an entirely different ballgame. What followed was a break from running due to Covid and then injuries induced by my poor lifestyle. I stopped my coaching programme with Nivedita and became a centurion as far as my body weight was concerned !

After a break of almost more than two years, I motivated myself to start running during my tenure in Gangtok. The clean air and beautiful surroundings were the external stimuli I needed, I think. I started training with my Tata Mumbai Marathon 2020 training programme and some guidance from Mr Vivek Menon (a friend from Mumbai) from July 2022 onwards. I also added strength training and a healthy lifestyle in terms of diet (increased protein intake) and sleep (ensuring at least seven hours on most days).

 Tata Mumbai Marathon 2023 was when I was going to test myself again. I had put in the hard work but the demons of 2020 still haunted me. I started very cautiously and it seemed that I was waiting to hit the WALL at 32 km. I was pleasantly surprised when I felt strong and full of energy at that point. I accelerated and every few kms I was surprised that I was feeling fine and seemed well on course to beat my target time of 3:30. I finished in 3:18:24 with a negative split. I was over the moon !

It was at this moment, across the finish line of Tata Mumbai Marathon 2023 that I was first introduced to the term – ‘BQ’ (Boston Qualified). A lot of fellow runners were asking me if I had BQed?? I did some research on BQ and it was basically achieving the qualifying time to run ‘The Boston Marathon’ and thus started a love affair. The Boston Dream had been conceived in me.

I realized I needed to go below 3:10 to BQ for my age group. I had signed up for the New Delhi Marathon 2023 and decided to give it a shot. With a gap of just five weeks from Tata Mumbai Marathon, I ran the New Delhi Marathon and finished in 3:08:18. It was definitely a BQ but way too slow to make the cut-off, which generally is in the region of 6-8 minutes below the BQ time. I needed professional support again.

Boston Qualified

with a 16 minutes 29 seconds buffer!

RUN LIKE A RABBIT TO BQ! Once the decision was made, I knew that no one was a better fit than Nivedita and I reached out to her. Both of us went back to the drawing board and after a year of training that included a lot of runs around a 200m helipad, I clocked a 3:03:31 at the New Delhi Marathon 2024. It was a BQ and I had a buffer of six minutes and 29 seconds. The cut-off for Boston 2025 was six minutes and 51 seconds and I would have been agonizingly short by 22 secs ! As luck would have it, I was turning 45 before 21 Apr 2025 (date of the race) and thus was considered within the 45-49 age category and had a buffer of 16 minutes and 29 seconds.

I WAS IN! THE BOSTON DREAM WAS SLOWLY TURNING INTO A REALITY!

Human wants are endless. And I had a new WANT – RUNNING MY FIRST SUB 3 HOUR MARATHON AT BOSTON.

VDHM 2024 1:24:10

I shared this dream with my Coach, Nivedita, and we got down to business. She made a blue print for a slow build-up that included running, strength training, yoga and cross training. It was slow and deliberate. We did the strategic foundation work till the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon 2024 and unlocked the timing of 1:24:10.

The plan was to race no marathons till Boston. We would focus on building up speed and test it at time trials planned at the Indian Navy Half Marathon (10 km) on 02 Feb 2025 and at the New Delhi Marathon (Half Marathon) on 23 Feb 2025. We were on course with timings of 37:54 & 1:21:44, respectively.

UPHILL & DOWNHILL REPS WITH RAVI!

NO HILLS IN DELHI, YOU SAY? Post this Nivedita put me through a gruelling four week training programme that included a lot of hill workouts (with whatever inclines we could manage in Delhi NCR). Emphasis was on downhill running as well as uphill running. Rinchen and Ravi were my constant companions through this gruelling period. Rinchen with all the support and Ravi pacing me at unearthly hours. They both made sure to always leave me with feedback that did not dishearten me and at the same time never let me get overconfident. Vijay, Gaurav and Peeyush also chipped in for a lot of my runs. Our favourite segment was the loops discovered by (the sadistically & clever) Nivedita during her cycling activity – Shankar Road, Prof Ramnath Vij (not Kovind- Coach!) Marg & Ridge Road. Our quest for hills took us as far as the NSG Campus in Manesar too. The toughest segment was the Mandir Lane - 800m of torture!

A niggling injury in the left groin that surfaced during the New Delhi Marathon 2025 started spreading to the left hamstring and glute also. It was a bother but not enough to hinder running. A quick visit to Paridhi Ojha at Enkinetik Performance Clinic made me temporarily fit till Boston, beyond which I would have to do proper rehab. Finally after a series of send-offs and warm wishes from my running group, Lutyens Road Runners, I was on my way to Boston. The dream was happening.

BOSTON STRONG 2:58:41

PERSONAL BEST & MY SECOND BOSTON QUALIFIED TIME!

THE BOSTON DREAM COMES ALIVE! 

The flight to London was uneventful. At London suddenly every second person on the flight was wearing a Boston track or cap. It seemed that more than half the flight was filled with people going to Boston to run. I made a huge faux pas while waiting to board. Helen Obiri (two time Boston Women’s Champion) came and sat next to me for 30 mins in the waiting lounge and I had no idea that I was sitting next to greatness. No autographs and no photos due to my stupidity !

I landed in Boston and checked into my AirBnB. From the moment I landed, I felt a slight strain in my left hamstring but I shrugged it aside thinking it was due to the long flight. When it persisted the next day, I confided in Nivedita but she allayed my fears by saying it was a by-product of tapering. I followed her detailed notes to the T. As meticulous as she is, she gave me detailed notes on what and when to eat and drink, and what to do or not to do daily. Each and every piece of advice given by her stood me in good stead in hindsight.

I landed on a Thursday afternoon and was so jet lagged, that I skipped doing the mobility workout and after some basic shopping and dinner, I slept early against popular advice. I was up early the next day and post the mobility workout I went for a final speed check run of 11K through Harvard and along the Charles River. I visited the Expo the same day and did not waste any extra time other than collecting my bib and some memorabilia from the Adidas counter. An early evening was planned but dinner with some Indian friends got prolonged and I ended up sleeping at 11. Saturday was an easy 5K. Jeff, my American friend working in India, was kind enough to take his Honduran friends and me to the start point at Hopkinton and after a sumptuous lunch we drove the whole marathon route back. Jeff was running his sixth Boston and knew every minute detail of the route by heart. The rest of the day was spent relaxing. I stuck to meals of chicken and rice from a nearby Mediterranean restaurant to load up on carbs and save time in commuting. I was hydrating well and consciously trying to replace proteins with carbs in my diet from Friday onwards. I avoided doing any organized shakeout runs (Nivedita felt that you end up running much more and expending a lot of energy pre and post these organised runs) on Sunday and after a 30 min solo run, I did some stretching and just rested. I may have overdone the carbohydrate loading on Sunday after two huge meals of rice and kebabs. I slept early but woke up by 3 am as I was too excited to sleep long.

I followed my morning pre-race routine of loading up on carbs and some foam rolling. My bus loading was to start at 7.30 am from Boston Commons and I was there by 7.40 am. I was wearing an extra layer of throw away clothes including old woolen socks as gloves. I had carried a pair of old shoes from India too but as the weather was not cloudy at all. I wore my Alphaflys from the room itself. I decided not to struggle to get on a bus and wait patiently for the last lot and save energy by sitting on the pavement till such time. It proved to be a slightly unwise decision as by the time I mounted a bus it was already 8.30 am and the bus dropped us off only at 9.50 am. I barely had 35 mins till my start time. I discarded my layers in the bus itself and finished all my snacks including an energy bar, banana and carbohydrate mix in the bus. I slowly jogged my way through the Athletes Village and the crowds till the Staging Area. A quick loo break and I quickly consumed my gel and made it to my Corral 2 of Wave 2 (starting serial allotted to me based on my qualification time) at 10.20 am. I only had five minutes to do a quick warm-up and it was time to roll. I barely managed to do some leg swings. I was slightly irritated with myself for poor planning but calmed my mind and focused on the race.

THE RACE AS IT HAPPENED! Wave 2 was underway at 10.25 am sharp. The weather was perfect. Around 12 degrees Celsius with a smattering of clouds and no wind. I was to stick to a pace of 4.15/km for the first 5K but I found myself hovering around 4.20 pace due to the lack of warm up and the large crowds. I kept myself calm and slowly increased the pace and averaged 4.17 at the 5K mark. I was confident that I would make up time ahead. The idea was to be patient till crossing Heartbreak Hill and then go hell for leather with all I have left. I thought the course would be easier than I was feeling at the 5K mark but kept calm and trusted my training and hard work. I was consuming a gel every 5K and two salt capsules every 30 mins. I felt a little heavy on the stomach and every gel after 5K seemed to add to the heaviness. I made the mistake of not taking water at every station and was going to pay the price for this later.

Unlike other events I have taken part in, everyone who started with me kept running with me. The road wasn’t opening up. I was doing a check every 5K and seemed to be on course with my planned splits. The kms went by and finally I was approaching the famous Wellesley College and its legendary Scream Tunnel!! All the college girls were screaming for a kiss but I didn’t see any runner in my visual range get distracted. I was a good boy and kept running without kissing through the Scream Tunnel. I was so drawn by the energy that I almost skipped my gel at 20 km taking it a good 1 km later (SORRY, COACH)!

I was looking forward to the Newton Hills now. My left glute and hamstring were definitely under strain but holding up and not hindering my running. As we were approaching Newton, the headwinds built up and the cold gusts were stinging the face. This continued right through all of the series of four Newton Hills. My quads were already feeling trashed after a considerable amount of downhill running, and then the famous set of four Newton Hills appeared and these headwinds just made it more difficult.

Suddenly I noticed, a couple of ladies drafting behind me and I felt like a knight in shining armour for a few moments till the reality of the struggle hit me again. Somehow I pushed myself knowing that post Heartbreak Hill I will run for my life. Finally, Heartbreak Hill arrived and although I was beginning to strain, I knew the worst was soon going to be behind me.

As I crossed Heartbreak Hill, I knew I had sufficient gas left in the tank and a timing around 2:56 was within reach. I opened my stride and let go and barely had I reached the end of the downslope post Heartbreak Hill, that I felt cramps. It started with the right hamstring and calf and then on my next step, it started in my left hamstring and calf too. I was in panic for a few moments and felt my dream shattering. The lack of hydration had come to bite me. Salt capsules by themselves are of no use if not backed up with enough fluids. I calmed myself and realized that if I shortened my stride the cramp wasn’t being felt. So I tried to increase my cadence with a shorter stride. Popped a couple of salt capsules and took water at every station. I felt that I might just be able to carry the day through. I looked at my watch a million times to check the distance and pace. The average pace which had been at 4:12/km had dropped to 4:13/km. I knew I had no margin for error now. I looked out for the famous CITGO sign signalling a mile left and tried to feed off the energy of the crowd which was unparalleled. Thoughts of the hard work I had put in and the support of my inner circle kept pushing me through the occasional cramps.

Finally I came to the famous point from where you take a right on Hereford and then left on Boylston Street. The final sprint is a long one with five rows of crowds shouting and cheering on both sides. I just was so zoned into the timing and the finish line and as I neared I remembered that I had to get some good finish line poses too !

I crossed the finish line and stopped my watch and it read 2:59:03.

I just wanted to immediately start crying – I don’t know why. Maybe tears of joy at achieving my target or maybe tears of relief at getting through when all seemed over. I did the famous zombie walk and collected my medal and rushed to collect my luggage and get to my phone. I wanted to see my official timing and also call up Rinchen, Nivedita and Ravi. I needed to vent out everything with the people who mattered most. The official time read 2:58:41 and I was overjoyed. I made video calls to my Three Musketeers and cried and laughed and just soaked in the moment. 

THE BOSTON DREAM WAS A REALITY. THE BOSTON DREAM HAD BEEN REALISED.

Beast Mode Success - Banish these 5 thoughts

We know that working out is really difficult to do, especially if you are new to it or going back to a routine after some time. 

Is your brain constantly judging you for making your body do things like burpees, or run at ridiculous timings? 

Hang tight, don’t let the mind overcome your honest endeavors to turn your Beast Rabbit mode off. 

We’ve faced these wars with our brain for decades and we’ve compiled our 5 most entertaining thoughts that cross our minds during a tough day in the gym, at home or during a run.

How many of these can you relate to? Comment & tag your friend  

Remember, the sense of accomplishment after your 10 sets of exercises or 15 minutes on the elliptical and even 30 minutes of walking and yoga makes you feel on top of the world.

Your increased energy levels, thanks to the higher levels of insulin and serotonin, help you get into that positive frame of mind. 

You begin your day or end it, depending on when you work out, with a stronger sense of self-belief and motivation.

FitRabbits, hop onwards to your next workout!

Easy hacks to unleash your fittest self!

“Try to be like the turtle - at ease in your own shell.”

— Bill Copeland

Have you been keeping off your fitness goals for too long? Do you want to get started, but don’t know how? Are you too busy to get the workout you need?

If getting started is the biggest hurdle, this article might be just what you need right now. 

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I. Set those Goals- Be your personal warrior

Each of us has different motivations to workout. Brooke Shields once wanted legs like Steffi Graf while Madhu wanted to stay active around his 2 year old and Neha wanted to go from couch to 5K in 6 weeks. 

Whatever your goal, believe in it. Define your long-term goal and then make specific, realistic and time bound short-term goals. 

• Short-term goals should last four to six weeks. For example- working out 3 times a week for a beginner. 

• Long-term goals are the end goal, spanning a few months and close to a year. Things like living healthily, lowering cholesterol, losing ten kilos or more (the right way, of course), running your first-half marathon or a marathon, etc. 

Remember, that your goal has to work for you- it's your personal journey to become a better you.

Write your goals down- slap it on the fridge door, behind the bathroom door, in front of the closet, or wherever you do your morning thing. 

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II. Plan your activities for heart-thumping fitness

Identify your favourite fitness-related activities- is it the serenity of yoga that appeals to you, or the music thumping beats in a spinning class or just the breeze on your face during a walk or run or all of them?

Find the activity or the set of activities that get your feet moving and your energy levels up. 

• Figure out how you'll follow these activities. Sign up to classes, find a training plan, etc.

• Set some achievable challenges during each activity. For example, if your goal is to run a 5K, start with walking for 25-30 minutes each day and vary your speed and distance as you get more active. Add a few lunges, crunches and pushups along the way. 

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III. Time - it's precious!

We’re all stressed for time in today’s busy life. To discover your new rabbit-self, you'll have to get into a routine. Routines slowly help form habits, and the benefits can range from stress relief to regulated blood sugar levels to lower risk of heart disease. Start young, stay young!  

Decide how much time you'd like to dedicate on daily and a weekly basis. 

• Setting some time aside can help you stick to your routines and boost your confidence in the workout or the activity of choice. 

• Pick a time and stick to it. You can always add to your basic routine and mix your workout to make it more fun in future.

• Research suggests adults require 30 minutes of physical activity a day. But dont worry if you cant squeeze in 30 mins in one go. Split it into 15 min sessions and you go for it! 

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IV. Reward yourself regularly- carrots are important.

Some people are motivated to exercise because they genuinely love it. But if you are one of those people who doesn’t, then rewarding yourself once in a while will drive your motivation to stick to your goals.

Rewards are very personal and vary from one person to the other. You can set up your own rewards and frequency. 

1. Small(daily) rewards : 

   • Put Rs100 in a jar every day you workout (building into a larger reward)

   • Watch your favourite TV show (only) on days you workout

   • Open WhatsApp only after you’ve finished your workout

   • Bite into some dark chocolate after 30 minutes of active workout

2. Medium (weekly, fortnightly, monthly) rewards:

   • Watch a movie / game

   • Shop for one frivolous item online

   • Get a massage

   • Eat your favourite dessert 

3. Longterm (3, 6, 12 months) rewards :

   • Vacation with friends 

   • Splurge on an outfit / watch / shoes 

   • Indulge in a 5/7/9 course meal

   • Plan something with the kids (and let them know. They’ll ensure you get your workout!) 

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V. Clean your Diet

Studies show that not only is fast food bad for long-term health outcomes, it can also cause sluggishness, lack of motivation and reduced performance in our day to day lives.

Moving to a balanced, nutritious diet goes hand-in-hand with a good workout as it increases productivity, enhances mood and helps in losing or controlling body weight.

In India, we have plenty of healthy breakfast options like roti-subzi, poha, upma, idli-chutney etc that one can make in minutes. Add freshly chopped carrots, beans etc to make them even more interesting. 

Getting started is really a mind game. Follow the process and you will start to see the results. Sometimes, pairing up with a friend, sharing your goals publicly or simply challenging yourself to a 21 day NO MISS workout could do the trick. 

Do you workout regularly? What has your first experience been like? Tell us more in the comments section below!

Cooling Down

So, you warmed up for your workout, then had a great time pumping some extra beats during your walk/run or at the gym. Now, make sure you spend a few minutes to cool down.

Why? 

During a workout, no matter at what level- professional, amateur or novice, the body's muscles, tendons and ligaments undergo some level of stress. Therefore, an effective cool-down enables the body to move from the exercise state to that of steady rest.

Our top favourite exercises to cool down: 

Warm Up is Essential

Before any workout - running, zumba, cycling, etc. - an effective warm-up is crucial. Targeted warm-up exercises help prepare the heart muscle and circulatory system, improve performance, reduce risk to injury and increase muscle elasticity and flexibility of the tendons and ligaments.

Simply speaking, key movements help warm your body and be prepared for the increased demand of vigorous exercise. 

Tip: Stretching is not recommended as one can tear cold muscles. 

We believe in somewhat dynamic warm-up exercises. 

Here are some key moves for you to begin your workout with. Super easy, highly effective and fun to do!

You're now all set to begin the workout of your choice.

If you've 30 minutes & want to try something fun, check out our 5 easy moves to feel like a rabbit.

SIX moves to feel like a Rabbit!

Before you start doing the moves, follow our easy yet effective warm-up routine. 

Our 6 specific exercises should be done as a circuit. The entire workout should take you no longer than 30 minutes, excluding the warm up.

• You should complete as many reps as possible of one move (30 seconds), rest for 30 seconds and then perform the next move.
• Once you finish the last exercise, you should proceed to the first exercise again. 
• A total of 3-4 circuits are ideal.

• 1. Box Jumps. 
  2. Jump Squats. 
  3. Mountain Climbers. 
  4. Lateral Bounds,
  5. Forward hops
  6. Squat to press with ball or dumbbells

What you should wear

• Sports shoes with socks
• Shorts or tights
• Moisture wicking t-shirt or soft cotton t-shirt
• Women should wear a medium impact sports bra

What equipment you may need

• A yoga mat
• Stairs or a workout bench
• 2.5 kg medicine ball or dumbbells of your preffered weight
• Your regular dining table or work table chair (without wheels)
• A medium sized towel
• A bottle of drinking water, to take sips during sets

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Transitional power is the power of movement (or transition) from the lower body, through the core and out through the upper body. 

Plyometrics are explosive exercises done using your body weight. As much as these exercises hurt, they build your fast twitch muscle fibers and improve your cardiovascular and endurance capacities. 

TARGET AREAS - Total body 

• Lower Body: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
• Upper Body: Chest, Back, Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps
• Core muscles 

End with our three favourite & signature cool down exercises. We hope you enjoy these!

Top 5 Habits of FitRabbits

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Enough of the excuses!

You, ALONE, can discover your fittest self.

So, get started!